Home projectors · updated 2026-09-23

A projector’s brightness number means nothing until you know which standard measured it.

So this catalog records the standard alongside every figure, marks anything that is not on the ISO or ANSI scale, and works out — from each maker’s own throw ratio — how big a picture the projector makes from a distance you actually have.

63 projectors · 17 brands · $250–$16,999 · 63 brightness figures on the ISO/ANSI scale

Browse the catalogHow to read a projector spec sheet

Brightness figures in this catalog

ANSI IT7.228 — nine-point
35
ISO 21118 — nine-point, 80% tolerance
28

ISO and ANSI figures average nine points across the screen and can be set against each other. Anything else measures something different, and 2 projectors here print a box figure that does not match its standardized one. The full explanation.

Five kinds of projector, and they solve different problems

Home theater

15 models · from $1,249

A bright family room where the projector has to reach from the back wall

Screen at 10 ft 61–98 in on the Optoma UHZ66

Lifestyle

14 models · from $400

The brightest standard-throw picture that still sets itself up

Screen at 10 ft 92–153 in on the Anker Nebula X1

UST laser TV

14 models · from $1,799

A living room with big windows that has to work at noon

100-inch screen at 16 in on the Hisense L9Q

Portable

13 models · from $250

The brightest picture that still fits in a laptop bag

Screen at 10 ft 115 in on the Dangbei Atom

Gaming

7 models · from $999

A room with windows that cannot be covered

Screen at 10 ft 83–92 in on the Optoma UHD38x

Every projector we track

Filter by type, light source, resolution and price. Brightness sorts ISO and ANSI figures first, because those are the only ones that can be set against each other. Tick up to three projectors and their spec sheets line up in one table.

Features

63 projectors found

Hisense L9Q projector
Hisense~$5,331

Hisense L9Q

UST laser TV · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
5,000lumensANSI
100-inch screen at
16 in
  • 5,000 ANSI lumens
  • Brightest here
  • 128 W Atmos

Best for: A living room with big windows that has to work at noon

Optoma UHZ66 projector
Optoma~$1,895

Optoma UHZ66

Home theater · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
4,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
61–98 in
Input lag
9 ms
  • 4,000 ANSI lumens
  • 30,000-hour laser
  • 1.6x zoom

Best for: A bright family room where the projector has to reach from the back wall

Optoma UHD35x projector
Optoma~$999

Optoma UHD35x

Gaming · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,600lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
83–92 in
Input lag
8 ms
  • 3,600 ANSI lumens
  • 4.2 ms at 240 Hz
  • Under $1,000

Best for: A bright room on a tight budget where lag matters more than lamp life

Anker Nebula X1 projector
Anker Nebula~$2,749

Anker Nebula X1

Lifestyle · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,500lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–153 in
  • 3,500 ANSI lumens
  • 1.67x optical zoom
  • Self-aiming gimbal

Best for: The brightest standard-throw picture that still sets itself up

Samsung The Premiere 9 projector
Samsung~$5,932

Samsung The Premiere 9

UST laser TV · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,450lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
17 in
  • 3,450 ISO lumens
  • Tri-laser
  • Tizen + Gaming Hub

Best for: A Samsung household that wants the TV interface on a 130-inch picture

BenQ X3100i projector
BenQ~$2,799

BenQ X3100i

Gaming · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,300lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–120 in
Input lag
8 ms
  • 3,300 ANSI lumens
  • 4.2 ms at 1080p/240
  • 20,000-hour LED

Best for: A console gaming room that also has to work as a movie room

BenQ HT4550i projector
BenQ~$2,999

BenQ HT4550i

Home theater · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,200lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–120 in
Input lag
18 ms
  • 3,200 ANSI lumens
  • Lens shift on DLP
  • 100% DCI-P3

Best for: A bright media room that wants wide-gamut color without a lamp

BenQ TK710STi projector
BenQ~$2,199

BenQ TK710STi

Gaming · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,200lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
166–200 in
Input lag
8 ms
  • 3,200 ANSI lumens
  • Short throw + laser
  • 6.8 lb

Best for: A bright small room that needs short throw, laser brightness and low lag at once

XGIMI Horizon S Max projector
XGIMI~$1,429

XGIMI Horizon S Max

Lifestyle · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,100lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
  • 3,100 ISO lumens
  • Integrated tilt stand
  • Dolby Vision

Best for: A bright room where the projector has to aim upward from a low table

Optoma UHZ55 projector
Optoma~$1,599

Optoma UHZ55

Home theater · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
87–114 in
Input lag
17 ms
  • 3,000 ANSI lumens
  • 30,000-hour laser
  • +10% lens shift

Best for: A first laser projector for a mixed-use room under $2,000

Hisense PX3-Pro projector
Hisense~$2,998

Hisense PX3-Pro

UST laser TV · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,000lumensANSI
100-inch screen at
19 in
Input lag
30 ms
  • 3,000 ANSI lumens
  • Tri-laser, 110% BT.2020
  • Dolby Vision

Best for: Replacing a television in a bright living room without giving up color

Hisense C2 Ultra projector
Hisense~$2,298

Hisense C2 Ultra

Lifestyle · DLP · 4K pixel-shift

Brightness
3,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–153 in
  • 3,000 ANSI lumens
  • 1.67x optical zoom
  • Tri-laser

Best for: A lifestyle projector that has to move around the room and still frame the screen

Epson Home Cinema 2350 projector
Epson~$1,399

Epson Home Cinema 2350

Home theater · 3LCD · 1080p

Brightness
2,800lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
63–103 in
Input lag
18 ms
  • 2,800 ISO lumens
  • 1080p, no pixel shift
  • Streaming built in

Best for: A bright living room where a shelf at the back of the room is the only place a projector can go

Lists built from the catalog, each with its ranking stated

Ultra-Short-Throw Laser TVs Under $3,000

10 qualifying projectors

Ordered by published brightness; figures not on the ISO/ANSI scale are listed last.

The Brightest ISO and ANSI-Rated Projectors Under $1,500

27 qualifying projectors

Ranked on published brightness, restricted to ISO 21118 and ANSI IT7.228 figures.

The Lowest-Input-Lag Projectors for Gaming

25 qualifying projectors

Ranked by the lowest published input-lag figure, whichever signal mode produced it.

Projectors With Real Optical Lens Shift

17 qualifying projectors

Every projector in the catalog with a published optical lens-shift range, ordered by price.

All guides →